REGENERATION OF MAGNESIUM CARBONATE INTO MAGNESIUM OXIDE USING CARBON AS FUEL

• Main Author: Rafi Ramadhan Taufik, Muhammad
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/76519
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The process of making bio hydrocarbons through decarboxylation of metal base soap produces metal carbonate by-products. This metal carbonate can turn back into metal oxide through a heating process to its decomposition temperature or calcination process. The calcination process requires a large amount of energy, so the type of energy used will affect the economic value of this process. Therefore, this study aims to determine the operating conditions and the optimum ratio for heating a magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) mixture with carbon fuel. The result of this calcination is in the form of magnesium oxide (MgO), which was analyzed using XRD. The parameters in this calcination process are the flow rate of oxygen, the mass of MgCO3, and the mass of carbon fuel in the form of coconut shell briquettes. The calcination process was carried out using 1, 2, and 3 grams of MgCO3 and a carbon fuel mass of 10 and 15 grams, while the oxygen flow rate used was 1.5; 2; and 2.5 L/minute. MgCO3 in XRD analysis has peaks at diffraction angles of 8°, 15°, 22° and 31°. In comparison, the MgO compound has peaks at diffraction angles of 37°, 43°, 62° and 79°. Based on the research results, MgO in the calcination results showed a diffraction angle that was almost the same as the results of XRD analysis on pure MgO and the highest yield was obtained at a mass variation of 1 gram MgCO3, 15 gram carbon mass, and 2 L/minute oxygen flow rate of 47.2%.